A brilliant bowling show from Pakistan and a laboured chase later saw the hosts beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to complete a 3-0 series sweep over the visitors in the third and final One-day International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Pacers Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Junior (3-47) and left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram (2-42) starred with the ball before contrasting half centuries by Fakhar Zaman (55 off 45) and Mohammad Rizwan (61 not out off 92) guided Pakistan to the 212-run target with 32 balls remaining.
It was Pakistan’s second successive ODI series triumph after their 2-1 win over South Africa earlier this month, with focus now shifting to the T20I tri-series featuring the hosts alongside Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
After Pakistan won the toss and opted to field, Haris, Wasim and Faisal struck at regular intervals through the innings, preventing Sri Lanka from building momentum at any stage.
A flurry of crisp strokes on a batting-friendly pitch by Sri Lankan openers Patthum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara gave the visitors a flying start before the in-form Haris forced Nissanka to play one onto his stumps. Sri Lanka nevertheless reached 57-1 by the end of the first 10 overs.
First-drop Kusal Mendis carried the momentum, flicking two full deliveries by Haris for boundaries in the 11th over. But Sri Lanka suffered another setback when Mishara poked at an outswinger by Wasim to get caught behind in the next over.
The dismissal slowed down the run-rate, with Kusal and Sadeera Samarawickrama taking Sri Lanka to 99-2 by the 20th over, which featured a successful DRS review saving Samarawickrama after an lbw decision by spinner Faisal.
With the boundary drought stretching — 47 balls to be precise — pressure mounted on the batters, culminating in another breakthrough for Pakistan and another for Wasim, who seamed one in to castle Kusal through the gate as the Islanders slipped to 117-3 at the halfway mark.
Faisal, who had kept things tight in his five overs, returned to remove Kamindu Mendis off his own bowling in a soft dismissal, pushing Sri Lanka deeper into trouble. Janith Liyanage followed next, chopping Faheem Ashraf’s medium pace onto his stumps.
Faisal then produced a superb delivery in the 36th over, spinning one back sharply into the right-handed Samarawickrama to bowl him for 48.
Maheesh Theekshana fell soon after to a searing yorker by Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, with DRS upholding the lbw call. Another pinpoint yorker saw Wasim uproot Jefferey Vandersay’s middle stump.
After Pavan Rathnayake threatened a late rally by launching Haris over long-off for six, his partner Pramod Madushan succumbed to a fierce bouncer, the ball flying off his gloves into the hands of wicket-keeper Haseebullah Khan.
Rathnayake was the last to fall, courtesy of a sharp throw by substitute Saim Ayub that found him short of his crease.
Pakistan’s start with the bat proved tricky as opener Haseebullah perished attempting to clear the infield off Maheesh Theekshana but ended up holing out to Eshan Malinga at mid-on in the fourth over. Fakhar responded to the early wicket with a firm whip through midwicket off Pramod Madushan for his second boundary, before Babar Azam punched Theekshana for two crisp drives through the off side in the next over.
Fakhar heaved Theekshana over his head for another four as Pakistan reached 46-1 by the end of 10 overs. Fakhar and Babar raised their fifty stand in the 12th over, the latter caressing Madushan for a cover boundary before the former punished a wide delivery by medium-pacer Liyanage for four.
Fakhar notched his 19th ODI half-century by smacking Jeffery Vandersay through the on side in the 14th over. But he departed soon after — for 55 off 45 — finding a diving Kamindu Mendis at deep midwicket off Vandersay.
Just as Pakistan crossed 100 in the 20th over, Vandersay delivered a brilliant googly to deceive Babar (34 off 52) and shatter his stumps. The leg-spinner struck again in the 25th over, trapping Salman Ali Agha lbw, the third umpire overturning the on-field decision as Sri Lanka sensed an opening at the halfway stage.
Rizwan, at the other end, responded with an exquisite cover drive off Malinga in the following over. But as the pitch’s sluggishness increasingly came into play, Rizwan and incoming Hussain Talat opted for caution, relying on hard running rather than strokeplay.
The next boundary arrived after more than 12 overs when Rizwan placed a full toss by Malinga behind square with ease. The former Pakistan captain brought up his second successive fifty off 84 balls in the 42nd over.
He was dropped on 55 in the 44th over, but Pakistan needed only nine more runs by then. Four came off a straight drive by Rizwan against Madushan before Hussain (42 off 57) struck another boundary to seal the match.
